Retort apparatus for the treatment of materials such as shale, coal, and the like



ocr. 27, 192s. 11,558,611

l W. GUY-PELL' ,RETORT APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS SUCH ASSHALE,

A GOAL, AND THE LIKE A Filed July 17. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 per A2z',1925.

, W. GUY-PELL RETORT APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT 0F MAT COAL AND THEFiled July 17.

tix

Patented 27,119.25.-

UNITED STATES 15587671 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GUY-PEU., oF LONDON, ENGLAND.

RETORT APPARATUS FOR' THE TREATMENT MATERIALS AND THE LIKE.

Application tiledr July 17,

To all whom, 'it may camera:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GUY-PEEL, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have inventedImprovements in or Relating to Retort Apparatus for the Treatment ofMateria-ls such as Shale, C0al,and the like, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus for the heat treatment of shale,coal and other carbonaceous or like materials.

In retorts where large masses of material are to be dealt with, thediculty of heating the same at the centre is Well recognized, especiallywhen low temperature retorting conditions are to prevail, this being dueto the inherentl low heat conductivity of the materials. -To overcomethis, it has been proposed, in various ways, to more or less subdividethe mass by means of walls of better heat conducting characteristicsextending into the mass, thereby obtaining a more equable heating of.the same.

In some cases these walls are constituted by ribs forming an integralpart of the retort, but the construction is anv expensive one if suchplurality of ribs is rovided as is desirable to thoroughly subdlvide themass. -Moreover this construction does not readily permit of renewal ofworn out parts `being efected, while no .provision is made for expansionor contraction.

According to thev present invention, for the purpose ofsubdividing themass of inateral to be heated, there is provided-a plurality of ducts,the distance between the walls of which is small in relation to thetotal cross sectional area of the ducts, the said ducts beingcontained'in a single orI common heating zone through the whole lengthof which they extend and being free to expand and contract eitherindividually or collectively;

Thefwalls lof the ducts maybe of any suitable shape, but vmayadvantageously be constituted by\ tubes of circular cross section whichare preferred on the score of costv Vof manufacture.

Apparatus according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, whereof Figs. l and 2 are vertical sections at right anglesone to another, of one con- Astructional arrangement thereof. Fig 3 is asectionaldetail view to alarger scale.

As 'hereshowm the retort comprlses a SUCH AS SHALE, COAL,

1924. Serial No. 726,511.

heating zone consist-ing of a vertical casing or chamber a havmg anupper stationary' horizontal wall vformed by a tube plate b of metalsurmounted bv a dome or cover c having a hopper d orinletr forthecontinuous or intermittent supply of the material, and a gas outlet e.`Suspended from the tube plate b abre a plurality of ducts or tubes f.These tubes f may be flanged to rest upon the tube b and may eitherextend freely through a lower tube plate g that is fixed, or be securedto such a tube platev which, as illustrated, is of a floating nature,exemplified as having a skirt It' which telescopes within a metal casingi that surmounts a receiver rm, for spent shale or the like. The loweren d of the receiver is provided with an outlet through which the l froma furnace or gas producer s, shown as` situated at one side of thecasinga. The gas`inlet and outlet and the furnace or gas producerl can howeverbe otherwise arranged. `Care should be taken to prevent the tubes beingheated to too great a degree. The dome or cover c and casing or chambera may be provided with suitable cleany ing and inspection openings withdoofls. Also, the ltubes f may be` providedexternally with scra ers forkeeping them clean, the Scrapers being operated by hand or by power, orthe-tubes may be cleaned l periodically by steam or air` jets.

Any convenient means may be employed to agitate material whilst it isWithin the tubes, as for instance spiral pokers, of-.which one isindicated at I? adapted to be operated, as by a crank t1, one whereof iscommon to those pokers that are arranged with their I ends in a straightrow.' Or the material may be forced intermittently or continuouslythrough the tubesy f. The inlet Iends of the ,tubes may, in some cases,be slightly restrict- Fig. 3, in order the material Within the tubesymaybe ed, asindicated at f1 that expandA upwards.

' described.

less liable to choke than be the case.

Instead of fixing the tubes to a lower movable tube plate, ashereinbefore described, and' as shown in the drawings, so that they canexpand downwards, they may be lixed at their lower ends to a stationarytube plate and be xed to an upper movable tube plate, or be free to moveendways through a stationary upper tube plate, `so that they can Also,the' tubes f and their casing or chamber a, instead of `'being arrangedvertically as shown ranged horizontally, or be inclined, and means beprovided for forcing the material to be treated through the tubes.

What I c laim is 1. A retort comprising a casing having an inlet for theheating medium at one side and an outlet therefor at the oppositeside, astationary tube plate forming an end wall of the casing, a chamberadjacent said tube plate having an inlet for material to be heated andan outlet for gas or vapour, a plurality of tubes extending from saidtube plate substantially throughout said casing and through whichmaterial from said chamber passes, a receiver for spent material at theend of the casing opposite to that at which the chamber aforesaid islocated,.and into which receiver the said tubes discharge, the tubesforming a-single group around all` ofwhich collectively the eatingmedium" flows, and means whereby spent material can radually bedischarged from the receiver a' oresaid, substantially as wouldotherwise 2. A retort comprising a vertical casing having aninlet forthe heating medium at one side and an outlet therefor at the oppositeside, a horizontal stationary tube plate at the top of the casing, achamber surmounting the said4 tube plate having an inlet for material tobe heated and an outlet for as or vapour, a plurality of tubes suspen edfrom "said tube plate and through which material from said chamberpasses, a receiver at the bottom of .the casing, for vrreception vofspent material, into which the werends of the said tubes discharge andam outlet in said receiver for ejecting the .spent material, the tubesforming a single roup around all of which collectively the eating mediumHows, the material to be may be ar-l material from said chamber passes,a receiver for reception of spent material and into which the lower endsof the. said tubes discharge, and. means whereby spent material can begradually discharged fromthe receiver aforesaid, substantially asdescribed.

4. A retort comprising a vertical casing having an inlet for heatingmedium at one side and an outlet therefor at the opposite side, ahorizontal stationary tube plate at the top of the casin r, a chambersurmounting the said tube p ate and having an inlet for material to beheated and an outlet for gas or vapour a plurality of tubes suspendedfrom said tube Cplate and through which material from sai chamberpasses, a receiver for lreception of spent material from such tubes, anda floating tube plate sumountin "said receiver, .and in which tube platethe ower ends of the tubes are secured, substantially as described.A`

5.` A retort comprising a vertical casing,

a horizontal stationary tube plate. at the top thereof, a chambersurmounting the said tube late, and having an inlet for material to beeated and an outlet for gas or va our, a `pluralit of tubes suspendedfrom sai tube plate and through which material from said chamber passes,a floating tube plate to which'the lower ends of the tubes are securedand having a skirt, a receiver beneath the oating tube plate forreception of spent material, and a casing sui-mounting the re-4 ceiverand into which the"y skirt of the floating tube plate telescopes,substantially as described. v

e Signed at London, of July 1924.

WILLIAM eruit-.Plinn engaa this third day

